Halifax councillor wants province to buy homes on Bedford flood plain

HALIFAX – A Halifax-area councillor thinks it’s time to move people away from a flood plain in Bedford, and the best way to accomplish that is to have the province buy their homes.

Coun. Tim Outhit says homes along Union Street are all prone to the same problem — flooding. Studies have been done and repairs have been made, but he says the situation is becoming worse.

“We can spend a whole lot of money on a repair that isn’t guaranteed to work. We can ignore the problem and just let these poor souls deal with this trouble every few years. Or we can look at what’s going on in other provinces,” he said.

READ MORE: No quick fixes for Hammonds Plains flooding problems

Minor repairs have done to the nearby Sackville River, but the flooding continues. Last month, many homes on the street were devastated following heavy rainfall.

A proposal is expected to go before Halifax Regional Council later this month, where it will be determined whether to make a formal request to the province to buy the homes.

Some people who have homes along the river say they welcome the chance to live elsewhere.

“Now we are really ready to move because I know nobody can control the flood and it’s just dangerous,” said homeowner Lilly Li Reid.

Others, like David Oxford, say they are not sure they want to move.

“I like where I am,” he said. “I have no intention of leaving for a few years yet for sure, but if it was an initiative and the people on the street were interested in it, I would give it consideration as well.”

READ MORE: Bedford park shut down due to flooding

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Union Street isn’t the only area where flooding is a problem. Other areas around Halifax such as Waverley have also been hit hard recently.

Across Nova Scotia, there are a number of homes and businesses built along flood plains. In Truro, some were devastated by widespread flooding in 2012.

No one from the province’s department of municipal affairs would speak about the issue, but said they could not find any cases where the province purchased homes due to flooding.

Outhit said although it would be an expensive endeavour, it could save money in the long run.

“Sometimes setting a precedent is a good thing,” he said. “I think each situation could be new — have these other areas had as much study? Would the solution work? Would the solutions be effective?”